Thursday, 11th June.

Homeroom was the same as usual. Kita and Kouji were absent, I was working on the questions with Matsushita and Sakigamiya, and Kawaguchi tried to leave halfway through again.

"Kawaguchi-san! Wait!"

At this point, I don't know how many times I've heard Tadokoro yell out like that.

"Please, Kawaguchi-san!"

Upon hearing her second cry, Kawaguchi turned around languidly.

Even though he'd usually ignore her, this time, Kawaguchi responded. He stood face to face with Tadokoro, who was desperate to get him back on his feet.

"Tadokoro-san, just stop. Can't you just leave me alone already...?"

This time, mercilessly in front of the whole class, Kawaguchi cut her off with a grumbling complaint. It was almost like he was wondering how many times he would have to tell her this for her to understand.

Tadokoro flinched as his sharp words cut deep into her, but the determination in her eyes didn't waver one bit. No matter how many times he pushed her away, Tadokoro wouldn't give up. Even Taiga recognised this, as she didn't stop her this time.

"I-I won't leave you alone... not when you're like this Kawaguchi-san, I just can't!"

"Then, what will it take for you to back down? Tell me."

"That, um... if you go back... to the way you used to be..."

"Go back? Impossible."

Once again, Kawaguchi's coldhearted response mercilessly cut into Tadokoro.

"No, it's not! I... I have faith that you can still go back to the way you used to be!"

"And I already told you, it's impossible. Your faith in me is misguided."

"Even so, I still believe in you!"

Kawaguchi clenched his fist. It gave the impression that, depending on the situation, he might start getting violent.

"Then, make it so Shigeru-san never told everyone about my past."

"Eh...?"

"That's how you can make things go back to how they used to be."

Now that his past as an arsonist was revealed, it was impossible to return to how things were. It was an unreasonable and inconceivable request meant to convey to Tadokoro that he couldn't go back.

"That's..."

"I hope you remember that before you try talking to me again."

Kawaguchi turned his back on her and began to walk away, but Tadokoro couldn't help but reach out to him as he left. She grabbed onto his right arm, desperate to prevent him from leaving.

"Let go of me."

"I-I won't!"

Despite Kawaguchi's icy rejection, Tadokoro continued to hold her ground. She believed that, as long as she didn't give up, her feelings would somehow get through to him.

However, Kawaguchi sighed openly. And then, he raised his arm up in the air and forcefully swung it down to shake free from her grasp.

"Kya!"

The forceful, sudden movement caused Tadokoro to collapse on the spot.

It was a crude and uncharacteristic way of handling the situation, meant to show to her what kind of person he truly was: a delinquent who didn't care who he hurt, as long as they were his enemy.

And right now, Tadokoro was enemy number one.

"...stop bothering me already. If you don't, I... I'll..."

Tadokoro looked up at Kawaguchi from the ground below him. The anger held within Kawaguchi's gaze cut into Tadokoro deeply again.

"I have nothing left to lose. If you continue following me around like this..."

Nothing Kawaguchi has said so far could possibly compare to the crushing blow this threat was about to leave on Tadokoro.

However, just then, a lone man stood up.

It was Ayano.

"That's quite an unsightly look on your face."

Provoked by his light and frivolous words, Kawaguchi changed focus from Tadokoro to Ayano.

"You... is there something you want from me...?"

Kawaguchi began to direct his hostility at the man who had interrupted him.

"There's nothing I want from someone as miserable as you. Get over yourself already, all you're doing is being an eyesore to everyone else. Alternatively, if all you're going to do is mope around, why don't you show yourself the door and try changing yourself again at a different school?"

Ayano had implicitly suggested that Kawaguchi simply drop out of the school instead of continuing to fumble around like this.

Since he had no attachment to the class, Kawaguchi's feelings were completely inconsequential to him. That's why Ayano could say such harsh words so blatantly in front of his face. 

"...shut up. You don't even understand my situation..."

"I don't know, and I don't care. It doesn't excuse your actions. Some people would kill for someone who cares for them like Tadokoro-san does for you. And yet you push her away time and time again because you've given up? What pathetic nonsense."

"P-please stop, Ayano-san! Kawaguchi-san didn't do anything wrong!"

Back on her feet, Tadokoro spoke up, trying to stop Ayano's relentless badmouthing of Kawaguchi.

"I apologise if I said anything that upset you, Tadokoro-san, but Kawaguchi-san needs to hear the truth."

Having been pushed to his limit, Kawaguchi locked eyes with Ayano and began to shorten the distance between them.

"D-don't, Kawaguchi-san!"

Tadokoro, who sensed the obvious change in Kawaguchi's mood, stepped in between the two to stop him, but was shoved aside by Kawaguchi with even more force than before.

Then, without even glancing at the fallen Tadokoro, Kawaguchi reached out at Ayano with an extended arm. He tried to grab Ayano by his collar, but Ayano quickly seized Kawaguchi by the wrist and suppressed his movements.

"Ku!"

"I don't show mercy to anyone who comes at me."

An expression of mixed pain and rage took shape on Kawaguchi's face due to the strength of Ayano's grip on his wrist.

"You're... you're so irritating, Ayano...!"

"I see no reason to back down from somebody who's okay with making a girl cry."

Ayano really did look like a knight in shining armour here. He let go of Kawaguchi's wrist and glanced over at Tadokoro.

"You're the one who knocked her over, so shouldn't you be the one to help her back up?"

"...that's not my problem anymore."

"Not your problem, when you started this mess? You really are a baby."

Tadokoro averted her gaze from Kawaguchi, unable to look at him directly anymore.

"Even now, you need someone to clean up after your mess. How embarassing."

Ayano gallantly swooped Tadokoro up from the ground.

"Eh... wha, what!?"

"Since you won't take responsibility, I will."

This sudden and unexpected action left both Tadokoro and Kawaguchi at a loss for words.

"Are you alright, Tadokoro-san? Did he hurt you anywhere?"

"Heeee?! Um, I... I-I'm not hurt at all!"

"Are you sure? He knocked you down twice with a lot of force."

Ayano, still carrying Tadokoro, began to distance himself from Kawaguchi, trying to separate her from him.

"I-I'm okay, really! A-ah, umm... p-please put me down!"

"Alright."

Ayano's knightly escapade ended when he put Tadokoro down in her seat.

Kawaguchi gritted his teeth, glaring at Ayano's back. Sensing that harsh gaze, Ayano looked at him over his shoulder.

"Are you going to whinge and complain some more? I've done you a favour."

"...you're not going to stop tormenting me, huh?"

"That's rich, coming from the person who keeps tormenting the people around him. At least I wouldn't ignore a girl who shows me kindness."

Ayano walked away again, showing blatant disregard for Kawaguchi's feelings. Not wanting to be near the two of them anymore, Kawaguchi stormed out of class.

Even though Ayano had gotten a negative opinion lately, because of his argument with Sakigamiya on Monday, the atmosphere of the class had shifted slightly in his favour.

In particular, he captured the awe of some of the girls, as they were blushing and whispering about how cool he looked saving Tadokoro.

So this was the kind of man Ayano Kanzaki was, huh?